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Casimir III (Civ5)
Casimir III the Great (1310-1370), AKA Kazimierz III the Great, was the final monarch of Poland from the Piast dynasty. During his reign Poland experienced a golden age. In game Capital: Warsaw Unique Unit: Winged hussar Unique building: Ducal stable Unique Ability: '''Solidarity '''Voice Actor: Alek Lubczynski Civilopedia Entry (History) Lived: 1310 - 1370 AD Titles: King of Poland King Casimir III, the only Polish king to earn the subsequent title of "the Great," reigned during the 14th Century AD and established himself as a decisive and able ruler, relying on his skill in diplomacy and sensible decision-making to greatly improve the well-being of his people and security of his kingdom. Although Casimir's predecessor, his father King Wladyslaw I, was respected for having reunited the divided realm, Casimir inherited a kingdom rife with challenges. In rebuilding a depleted economy, strengthening the military, codifying the law, and expanding the borders of Poland, Casimir left his country much better than he found it - and sealed his legacy as one of Poland's greatest kings. By the time of his death, Casimir III had assured the prestige and respect of Poland throughout medieval Europe. Early Reign Although the second son of Wladyslaw, Casimir was schooled in all things necessary for kingship in medieval Europe. Upon the death of Casimir's elder brother in 1312 AD, he was made heir and placed in the care of Jaroslaw, later to be archbishop of Gniezno and one of Casimir's most important advisors. When his father died 21 years later, in Krakow Casimir was crowned lord of both Great Poland and Little Poland, sanctifying the unification of Poland Wladyslaw had begun. Domestic Affairs Not long after ascending to the throne, Casimir was forced to deal with a number of political issues, not the least the unrest of the Polish nobility. In order to strengthen Poland's military, which relied heavily on the cooperation of the Polish nobles, Casimir was forced to relinquish a number of heretofore royal privileges to the nobles themselves. The Polish aristocracy now held a clear division between themselves and the common people, and their authority in matters dealing with those of lower standing, especially the growing merchant classes, was greatly strengthened. Although Casimir was forced into a position of comprise, his actions ensured that the feudal armies of Poland could be replenished and would recognize the crown's authority. Casimir made great strides in efforts to improve the internal state of Poland, and counterbalance the new power of the nobles, through a number of initiatives. He standardized and stabilized the currency. Casimir ordered the construction of a number of new castles, churches, and even entire towns - providing new opportunities for trade and economic prosperity. Towns long since abandoned, and even areas said to have been devoid of any form of settlement were revitalized. In March 1347 Casimir introduced legal reforms and moved to establish a unified code, the Liber juris Teutonici, for the realm to protect the rights of the fledgling middle class. In enacting a form of the Magdeburg Rights - a German concept allowing for towns to exercise a certain degree of autonomy - he provided local merchants and craftsmen with a more stable regulation of trade, encouraging them to settle in cities across the nation. A special court was established in Krakow to arbitrate in all disputes and administer the laws uniformly. Hoping to educate a new generation of capable lawyers and administers, Casimir the Great founded the Academy of Krakow, now the Jagiellonian University, in 1364 AD. Although historians have wondered what spurred Casimir's disposition towards the Jews of Poland, it is clear that he made every effort to afford them the same rights and protection all his subjects enjoyed. In 1334, Casimir reaffirmed the charters of 1264 protecting the rights of the Polish Jews, including laws prohibiting attempts at forced conversions to Christianity that had been largely ignored under previous rulers since. Casimir also secured their rights as merchants and traders, and welcomed Jewish integration into a unified Poland with a diverse population. The desecration of Jewish cemeteries and synagogues was declared a crime and vigorously enforced. Foreign Successes Upon his ascension to the throne, Casimir's rule was tenuous, and disputed on all sides by foreign powers. The king of Bohemia himself claimed the Polish crown. The German Teutonic Knights had occupied the Polish territories of Kujawy and Dobrzyn in Pomerania. An undeclared, inconclusive war with Lithuania to the north threatened stability and trade in the bordering provinces. Polish claims to territories in the Ukraine were ignored by neighboring nations. To make matters worse, Poland had no allies of any importance. Relying on his skill in diplomacy, Casimir deftly negotiated new alliances and secured additional territory for Poland. The marriage of his sister Elisabeth to the king of Hungary brought him a dependable ally; to cement this alliance Casimir dropped his claims to Silesia. The Hungarian alliance allowed Casimir to forcefully occupy the former Polish duchies of Halic and Vladimir in "Red Russia" in 1340 and 1349 AD. Meanwhile, through negotiation, a pact was forged with Bohemia and its king dropped all claims to the Polish throne. This, in turn, led to a negotiated withdrawal of the Teutonic Knights from East Pomerania. Finally, Casimir agreed to pay tribute to the Golden Horde to avoid their frequent raids into Poland. As a result of Poland's growing power and its cordial relations with the Mongols, several Masovian princes in Russia declared themselves Casimir's vassels in 1351 and 1353. Casimir wedded princesses from Lithuania, Germany, and Silesia - each helping secure peaceful relations with their homelands. Although he had four wives and several mistresses, Casimir had five daughters but no legitimate male heir. While Casimir was to arrange dynastic marriages for several of his daughters which further strengthened Poland's position, the lack of a son threatened unrest and war should he die. To provide a clear line of succession, in his last years Casimir named his nephew, Louis of Hungary, son of Elisabeth, as his heir. Louis was proclaimed king of Poland upon Casimir's death in 1370. Judgment of History It can be said that Casimir is viewed in history as an ideal medieval king - noble, prudent, diplomatic and capable of delegating authority when necessary. Although some of the territories were lost over the next century, by his death Casimir III had increased Poland's land to approximately 90,000 square miles (233,000 sq. km) from 50,000 in 1333 AD. Casimir showed great concern for the welfare of his people and his choices as king clearly reflect his efforts to improve the standing of Poland. By forming dependable alliances, aggressively pursuing domestic reforms, and avoiding needless conflicts, Casimir the Great truly earned his given title. Lines Casimir III speaks modern Polish with some old-fashioned words. Intro: - I, Casimir the Great, welcome you to the lands of the Great Kingdom of Poland (Ja, Kazimierz Wielki, witam Cię na ziemiach Wielkiego Królestwa Polskiego.) Attacked: - My armies will grind you to dust! (Moje armie zetrą Cię w proch!) Declare War: I have decided to end you! (Postanowiłem z tobą skończyć!) Defeated: Celebrate your victory well... it might be your last one. (Naciesz się swoim zwycięstwem... może być twoim ostatnim.) Hate Hello: What are you looking for here? (Czego tu szukasz?) Hate Hear It 1: What are you doing here? (Co tutaj robisz? - it sounds more like Hate Hello, though) Hate Hear It 2: You again! (Znowu ty!) Hate Hear It 3: What do you want? (Czego chcesz?) Hate No 1: You must be joking. (Chyba żartujesz.) Hate No 2: A hundred times, no! (Po stokroć nie!) Hate No 3: You want to mock me? (Chcesz ze mnie zadrwić?) Hate Yes 1: So be it. (Niech będzie. -very annoyed) Hate Yes 2: It seems I don't have a choice (Skoro nie mam wyboru... - something like "if I must") Hate Yes 3: As you wish. (Jak sobie życzysz. - very annoyed) Neutral Hello: I salute you. (Pozdrawiam cię.) Neutral Hear It 1: I'm listening. (Słucham? - like an inquiring "Yes (what is it)?") Neutral Hear It 2: Proceed (Mów dalej.) Neutral Hear It 3: I'm all ears (Zamieniam się w słuch.) Neutral No 1: No (Nie.) Neutral No 2: Absolutely not! (Absolutnie nie!) Neutral No 3: It's unacceptable. (To niedopuszczalne.) Neutral Yes 1: Alright. (W porządku.) Neutral Yes 2: Good. (Dobrze. - his tone here implies he's really bored and paternalising) Neutral Yes 3: I agree. (Zgadzam się.) Peaceful: Think twice before you disregard / underestimate Poland again. (Dobrze się zastanów, nim znów zlekceważysz Polskę.) Request: How do you like my offer? (Jak ci się podoba moja oferta?) Intro